Amazon's pioneering "just walk out" grocery store, Amazon Fresh, located in Ealing Broadway, West London, has been permanently closed, marking the end of its two-year run. The store,

which opened in March 2021, was Amazon's first "till-less" grocery outlet outside of the United States. Additionally, two other Amazon Fresh stores in Wandsworth and East Sheen have also shut down.

At Amazon Fresh shops, customers simply scan a smartphone app upon entry and are automatically billed for the items they pick up as they leave, eliminating the need to visit a traditional checkout till.

While the opening of these grocery stores was deemed a significant moment in the retail industry, privacy concerns regarding their operation were raised by campaigners.

In response to the closures, Amazon stated that they routinely evaluate their store portfolio and make optimization decisions accordingly. However, they assured customers that this does not signify an end to their investment in the grocery sector. Amazon plans to open new Amazon Fresh stores in the greater London area to cater to customer demand.

The concept of cashierless grocery shopping has been met with both enthusiasm and skepticism, and Amazon aims to continue learning from its experiences to improve the customer experience. Photo by Atomicdragon136, Wikimedia commons.